Method of and apparatus for banding tanks



March 20, 1945. `J. M. cRoM 2,372,060

f METHOD oF AND APPARATUS FOR BANDING 4TANKS Filed June 2s, 194:5 3 'sheets-sheet 1 March 20, 1945. J. M. cRoM METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR BANDING TANKS Filed June 26, 1945 I5 Shec-zcs-Sheec.l 2

March 20, 1945. J, M..cRoM

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR BANDING TANKS s sheets-sheet 3 Filed June 2e, 194s Y ifi/155.

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e thereof selected'for Patented Mtr. zo, 194s UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE l 'METHOD ornunazgngrns Fonaannlno i n Y John M. Crum, Washington, D. C.

Application Jllne 26, 1943, still! N0. 492,441 .i claims. (ci. 24a-1) This invention relates to certain improvements in and to my Patent No. 2,37),780, dated March 6, 1945, for a novel method and apparatus for banding tanks with steel reinforcement. This patent discloses the employment of a wire carrying and placing vehicle supported for movement around and adjacent to the outer face of the tank to be banded. An end of the Wire reinforcement is anchored at a starting point adjacent to the base or top of the tank and the vehicle carries the free portion thereof and winds it into taut contact with the tank as the vehicle proceeds therearound. The vehicle is movable horizontally and circumferentially around the tank and means is provided for trailing the wire tightly onto the tank and placing the succeeding convolutions progressively higher or lower and in predetermined proximity.

The mechanism disclosed in my said patent employs a brake for holding the wire taut and the wire is trailed into contact with the tank directly behind the vehicle. One object of my invention herein is to improve the apparatus and very substantially decrease its weight and cost of construction by employing a relatively simple wire gripping and tensioning apparatus in lieu of the brake mechanism heretofore employed.

The trailing and banding of the wire directly behind the vehicle serves very etliciently to band the tank intermediately of its top and bottom portions but does not permit banding of the tank fully to its top and bottom edges. A further feature of my invention herein relates tocertain improvements in the method of and apparatus for handling the wire whereby the tank can be conveniently banded fully to and between its top and bottom edges.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fis. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a tank being banded in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the wire banding vehicle shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the vehicle and banding mechanism, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the enginel and the interlocked clutch-brake control.

In the drawings, l0 indicates the cylindrical side wall o f a concrete tank having a dome or cover l2 thereon. My improved method and apparatus are herein illustrated and described in connection with the banding of this tank with sheave 34 steel wire wound circumferentiaily around and into tensioned contact with the side wall whereby placing the tank in predetermined compression.

The invention contemplates the employment of a vehicle for conducting the wire around the tank and laying it in contact with the side wall. The vehicle can be supported in any convenient and desirable manner for performing this function, as by suspending the vehicle from above as illustrated in the drawings/ In any event the vehicle is mounted to move around the tank and trail the banding wire therefrom and into predetermined tensioned contact with the tank.

As illustrated, I4 indicates a vehicle or platform suspended from a boom I6 to a position overhanging the outer face of the side wall I0. The boom is supported on a carriage I8 in rolling contact with the top ofthe tank and anchored by a cable 20 for swiveling movement about a fixed post 2l at the central vertical axis of the tank, the cable being connected to a pulley l22 engaging an endless band 23 looped around the post. The carriage I8 is supported on wheels 25 resting on the tank cover I2 and rotatable on horizontal axes and also by wheels 2'6 carried onv brackets 2l, the wheels 26 being rotatable on vertical axes and in contact with the side wall I0. The carriage I-8 is adapted to be driven by a motor 28 through a belt 3B to one of the wheels 25 (Fig. 3), as more particularly described in my Patent 2,370,780. y

The vehicle or platform |14 is suspended from the boom I6 by means of a cable 32 wound about a dr'um 33 on .the vehicle and extending over a supported on the boom. The free end of the cable carries a ring 36 to which is connected four cables 3.8 having their lower ends secured to the four corners of the vehicle, turnbuckles 40 being provided to level the vehicle. The vehicle is also provided with wheels 42 rotatable on vertical axes and located to engage the side lwall l0, the wheels providing rolling contact with the side wall in the tank.

Both wheel supports are connected to the vehicle on horizontal axes at44 whereby permitting the wheels to adjust themselves into flat contact with the side wall. The vehicle travels in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 and the front wheel is mounted in a, yoke 45 adjustable on a stud 46. An arm 4l fixed to the stud has its outer end engaged by a screw 48 carrying a hand wheel 49 by which the yoke and wheel can be adjusted to guide and steer the vehicle along the desired path.

the direction of travel around An engine l) mounted on the-vehicle is arranged (1) to drive the vehicle around the tank and (2) {to elevate and lower the vehicle. The engine shaft is operatively connected to a vertical shaft 52 through transmission gearing I8 controlled by a gear shifting lever 54. A sprocket 56 fixed to the shaft 52 is operatively connected by a chain 51 to a large sprocket wheel 58 (Fig. 2) and a sprocket 62 loose on the shaft 52 is operatively connected by a chain 5l to a large sprocket wheel 55 on a shaft B6. A clutch BG splined to the shaft 52 is adapted to be shifted by a lever 6l into and out of engagement with the sprocket 62 (Fig. 3).

The chain 51 is adapted to drive the vehicle around the tank through the following mechanism. An annular cable 10 extends around and in frictlonal contact with the vertical face of the tank for moving the vehicle therearound, this cable being looped around a grooved wheel 12 fixed on a vertical shaft 1,4 which also has the sprocket wheel 58 fixed toits top end.

The chain El is adapted to rotate the drum Il when the clutch 50 is engaged with the sprocket 62. The shaft 65 is connected by bevel gears 51 to a shaft B8 having a pinion 15 thereon in mesh with a gear 11 on the drum shaft. Retrograde rotation of the drum 33 is prevented by pawls 16 engaging the teeth of a ratchet wheel 18 xed to the drum.

A brake drum 80 is fixed to the shaft 52 and an interlocking connection including a rod 8i is provided between the clutch lever 82 and the brake shoes cooperating with the drum. 'I'he clutch lever is operated by a hand rod8`3. When c the clutch is in closed position the brake shoes are disengaged through the rod 8i and when the clutch is moved to open position the shoes are automatically engaged with the drum through the same connection. Thus when the shaft 52 is disengaged from the engine shaft the brake automatically prevents rotation of the shaft 52.

The mechanism thus far described is substantially that disclosed in my Patent 2,370,780 wherein the banding wire is trailed directly behind the vehicle I4 and is held in tension by a brake. Such mechanism operates successfully to band a tank intermediately of its extreme top and bottom limits but cannot band beyond the vertical limits reached by the vehicle. Furthermore, the brake mechanism for tensioning the wire adds substantially to the complications and expense of the apparatus and the weight of the vehicle. The' primary objects of vthis invention reside in the provision of improved mechanism for facilitating the operation of these features and rendering the apparatus more eflicient. 'lhis improved mechanism will now be described.

The wire 34 to be banded onto the tank is drawn from a roll 86 rotatable on a vertical post 88 carried by the vehicle. The wire passes from the roll to a guiding sheave 90 and preferably through a gang of sheaves 9| engaging opposite sides of the wire and serving to guide and somewhat tension the wire as itis drawn from the roll. The wire continues therefrom over a sheave 92 and through a resistance member 93 having a wire receiving hole therethrough of size causing the member tightly to grip the wire and place it under a predetermined tension determined by the size of the hole in relation to the Size of the wire. From thence the wire passes into contact with the outer face of the tank wall I0..

The sheave 92 and member 93 are supported on a rail 94 illustrated in Fig. 3 as extending 11pa'svaoeo wardly from the vehicle il and supported rigidly thereon by bracing .95. the rail being bolted to the vehicle in a manner adapting it to be projected downwardly of the vehicle when the wire is to be placed on the bottom portion of the wall il beneath the vehicle. A like resistance member il is mounted directly on and rearwardly of the vehicle preferably in alignment with the wire guiding sheaves 90 and 9i and the main portion of the wall I0 is banded by conducting the wire through this member. When the vehicle reaches such an elevation that the member 96 can no longer bey employed to finish the topmost portion of the banding, the vehicle is somewhat lowered and the banding operation completed by conducting the wire through the member 93, the wire being likewise conducted through the member I3 below the vehicle when banding the lowermost portion of the wall l0.

By reference to'my Patent 2,370,780 it will be readily apparent that the provision of the member ,96 in lieu of the wire tensioning brake not only greatly simplifies the mechanism and saves considerable expense but, furthermore, greatly decreases the weight of the vehicle, all of which is of substantial importance to the invention and its use. Furthermore, the employment of this relatively simple wire tensioning mechanism makes readily possible the mounting of the additional member 93 above or below the vehicle and the easy completion of the banding operation at the bottom and top extremities of the wall i0.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure `by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A method of banding large vertical tanks and the like circumferentially with continuous wire reinforcement, which consists in anchoring the outer end of a banding wire drawn from a supply roll, suspending a vehicle from the top of the tank to `a position adjacent to the outer face of the tank and for movement on the tank, supporting on the vehicle adjacent to said face a free portion of the wire between said end and .the roll, moving the vehicle horizontally around the tank adjacent to said face in ay direction to draw the wire from the roll and wrap it onto said face while so supporting said portion of the wire on the vehicle that it extends from said face directly to a point located at an elevation beyond the elevation of the body portion of the vehicle, and soV resisting movement of the vehicle relative to the wire that the trailing portion of the wire is held in substantial tension as the vehicle moves forwardly and wraps it onto said face at an elevation outside the elevation of the body portion of the vehicle.

2. Apparatus for banding large vertical tanks and the like -circumferentially with continuous wire reinforcement, comprising a vehicle, means supporting the vehicle for movement horizontally around and adjacent to the outer side face of a tank, means on the vehicle for supporting a wire and ywrapping it circumferentially into contact with said face at an elevation outside the elevation of the body portion of the vehicle as the vehicle travels around the tank, means including an engine and cooperating means in frictional contact with said face for driving:l the vehicle horizontally around the tank and holding the wire taut as it is wrapped onto said face, and means for moving the vehicle vertically.

3. Apparatus for banding large vertical tanks and the like circumferentially with continuous wire reinforcement, comprising a vehicle, means supporting the vehicle tor movement horizontally around and adjacent to the outer side i'ace oi' a tank, means on the vehicle for supporting a wire and wrapping it circumferentially into contact with said face at an elevation outside the elevation of the body portion of the vehicle as the vehicle travels around the tank, the last named means including awire supporting sheave and means supporting the sheave on the vehicle adjacent to said face and at. an elevation outside the elevation of said body portion of the vehicle,

means including an engine and cooperating` means in frictional contact with 'said i'ace for drivin: the vehicle horizontally around the tank and holding the wire taut as it is wrapped onto zlaid lmoe, and means for moving the vehicle vercal y.

4. Ihe `apparatus deiined in claim 3 in which the means for holding the wire taut includes a wire gripping member located adiacentto the sheave and at an elevation outside the elevation oi said body portion of the vehicle and in which the member is carried by the means supporting the sheave, the wire gripping member having a wire receiving hole therethrough of size causing the member tightly to grip the wire and place it under a predetermined tension determined by the size of the hole in relation-to the size of the wire.

J OHN M. CROM. 

